A blog devoted to the cards I make in my tiny upstairs space. When my sister stays there, she calls it an "artist's garret". I'm not an artist, but am an enthusiastic cardmaker - hence the title "Cardmaker's Garret".
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Monday 22 April 2024

Recycled Bottle, Layered Flowers, and Monochrome Doves

Today is Earth Day so it seems an appropriate day to post this card for both Jingle Belles and Sweet Stampin' challenges to include a recycled element.


The little bottle came off a commercial card I received and the ribbon off a Christmas gift.

I stamped the sentiment on white cs and cut the sections out and layered everything on some festive dp.

I feel that the sentiment is such a major part of the card so I'm also linking it up at Word Power.

Next up is a card for The Flower Challenge "Add Layers".  I've got a watercoloured focal image layer, a pink bordering layering, and a dp layer on the card base.


And last for today, Addicted to CAS wants a monochrome card.


 I used a little scrap of cling wrap background made with a couple of different blue Brushos (sprinkled, spritzed with water, then cling wrap scrunched up on it, and left to dry).  I framed it, added the two die cut doves, and added a blue heat embossed sentiment.

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Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Dylusions sentiment
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs, dp
Size - A2
Accessories - recycled little bottle, recycled ribbon

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SU Echoes of Kindness flower
Ink - Versafine Clair Nocturne
Paper - white and pink cs, dp, watercolour paper
Size - 6.25x3.25"
Accessories - watercolour paints

Supplies for card :
Stamps - Stampendous sentiment
Ink - ColorBox Royal Blue
Paper - watercolour paper, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - clear embossing powder, Memory Box dove dies, Impression Obsession frame die

Saturday 20 April 2024

Greenery in a Jar

Great inspiration from this month's Peace on Earth mood board!  The photos of the greenery in jars prompted me to use a jar die that I've never used before.


I die cut the jar from white cs and sponged a bit of grey around the edges for shading and dimension.  I smooshed scraps of cs with various green Distress inks and then die cut the greenery and holly from it.  Then arrange it in the opening of the jar, added it to a white card base and embellished with red gemstones for the berries.

Here's the Peace on Earth mood board that inspired me.  Head on over to our blog for more inspiration from the design team, and then make a card for our challenge either inspired by the mood board or an "anything Christmas" card!










Supplies:
Stamps - unknown sentiment
Ink - various green Distress inks, Memento London Fog, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Tim Holtz greenery dies, holly die, mason jar die, red gemstones

Monday 15 April 2024

Colour Challenges

I don't know how you feel about colour challenges but I do very few of them - I really have to like the colours to be inspired to do them.  The new 52 Christmas Card Throwdown is a colour challenge - red, kraft, and white.  That's a combination I really happen to like so I made this card for it.

Kraft card base, die cut kraft tree (cut twice and glued together for more dimension), a white focal panel cut with a stitched rectangle die, and then lovely bits of red for the stamped sentiment and the die cut cardinals.

Then I needed a masculine birthday card and thought the Seize the Birthday challenge of green and one other colour (I chose black to keep it masculine) would work.  And I was on a roll with birds so dug out another bird die.


I smooshed a background with various green Distress inks, then stamped a bit of cross-hatched texture and the sentiment on it.  I die cut the branch and bird out of black cs, glued it on the green panel and popped it up on fun foam for more dimension.

  


I'm curious - if you leave a comment, let me know if you like colour challenges or not.

 







Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Hero Arts sentiment
Ink - SU Real Red
Paper - kraft, red, and white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Impression Obsession tree and cardinals, Lil Inker stitched rectangle die

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - A Muse sentiment, unknown cross-hatching stamp
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black, various green Distress inks
Paper - white and black cs
Size - A2
Accessories - Memory Box bird die, Sizzix branch die


Wednesday 10 April 2024

Butterflies and Birds

My Time to Craft Challenge wants to see butterflies.  I used this as a chance to make a card for a friend who loves purple.


I created the background by sprinkling purple Brushos on watercolour paper and spritzing with water. When dry, I stamped and heat embossed the butterfly in white, and stamped the sentiment in black and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I trimmed the panel and popped it up on fun foam.

My next card also has a butterfly but it's for Can You Handle the Pressure? - use an embossing folder with a twist of birds.  I used my embossing folder to frame all my little images, including an image of a bird.

 
I stamped some of the images in black and some in dark brown, and then coloured them with coloured pencils. I die cut the images with a small square die cut. I stamped and heat embossed tiny sentiments on the two right hand squares. They are popped up on fun foam on a panel that is dry embossed with the border folder.
 
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Supplies for card 1:
Stamps - Visible Image butterfly, unknown sentiment
Ink - ColorBox white, Versafine Onyx Black
Paper - watercolour paper, white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - white and clear embossing powders, various purple Brushos, wonky stitched rectangle die, fun foam

Supplies for card 2:
Stamps - SU Nature Walk, SSS tiny sentiments
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black and Rich Cocoa, ColorBox gold
Paper - white cs
Size - A2
Accessories - coloured pencils, SU embossing folder, gold embossing powder, Spellbinders square die, fun foam